The present invention relates generally to electric circuit components and more particularly to switches, receptacles, and other junction components which can be quicky and safely installed, thereby advantageously reducing the time and cost associated with an electrician's services.
Building construction can be expensive and time consuming because buildings are often large and because a multitude of complex tasks must often be completed. Also, renovating an existing structure can be especially expensive and time consuming for the same reasons.
One time consuming task performed during construction is electrical circuitry installation. Conventionally, an electrician positions junction boxes on the exposed studs of the building at pre-determined locations throughout the building. These junction boxes will eventually hold junction devices such as switches and outlets as will be described in greater detail below.
Next, the electrician routes wires from the circuit breaker box to the individual junction boxes, and wires are also routed between the individual junction boxes. Then, the exposed ends of individual wires positioned within the junction boxes are covered in insulating material such as a wire nut.
At this point, the electrician's tasks are suspended until city or county officials conduct a rough electrical inspection. Subsequently, drywall is attached to the exposed studs of the building frame. Also, openings are formed in the drywall to allow access to the junction boxes.
Then, after waiting for the inspection and drywall installation to be completed, the electrician is able to resume working, and he or she moves from junction box to junction box, attaching junction devices (e.g., switches and outlets) to the wires. Finally, cover plates are manually installed over the junction devices typically after painting.
Once the junction devices and cover plates are installed, final electrical inspection occurs to ensure that the components have been attached to the wires properly.
Unfortunately, several inherent problems are associated with this conventional method of electrical system installation. First, this method of electrical system installation is unduly time consuming, mainly because the electrician works-both before and after the drywall is installed. Therefore, since most electricians are paid by the hour and are among the highest paid skilled laborers, electrical system installation can be very expensive.
In addition, the current prior art installation requires skilled, highly compensated electricians to install the junction devices. As such, labor costs associated with such installation is high as compared to labor costs associated with unskilled labor. Relatedly, if at a later date, the building owner wishes to change a junction device that is already installed, an electrician typically must be called on to change the junction device, and the building owner disadvantageously pays the higher labor costs for the skilled laborer.
Further, connecting and/or splicing wires using wire nuts may leave conductive material of the wires exposed. This condition may go unnoticed by the electrician during initial electrical testing, but may become more pronounced over time. Since the wires inside the junction boxes lie in close proximity, a short circuit or even a fire may result. Thus; this standard method of electrical system installation can produce unfit and unsafe electrical connections.
In addition, the junction boxes typically contain a plurality of wires, and the number of wires only increases when the circuitry is more complex, as in the case of 3-way or 4-way switched circuits. As the number of wires increases, the possibility that the electrician might incorrectly interconnect or splice the wires increases. Unfortunately, if the components are incorrectly wired, the electrician must spend costly time re-wiring. Relatedly, complex circuitry may not be able to fit inside a conventional junction box because of the number of wires and wire screws involved. In this case, a larger and more expensive junction box is disadvantageously used.
Several devices have addressed these concerns with limited degrees of success. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,443, issued Aug. 21, 1979, and invented by Figart, et al. discloses a power distribution system whose elements include a junction box, and a plurality of electrical bus plates contained within the junction box. As shown in Figart, the bus plates are aligned together in a stack, and a first and second set of conductive leaf springs extend from different areas of individual bus plates. Furthermore, the power distribution system also includes a junction device, such as a switch or an outlet, that comprises a plurality of conductive posts.
As shown in the Figart reference, wires are threaded into the junction box, and the first set of conductive leaf springs on the bus plates bias against the wires in order to mechanically and electrically connect the wires to the bus plates. Similarly, the junction device is positioned into the junction box such that the second set of conductive leaf springs on the bus plates biases against the conductive posts of the junction device. As such, when the junction device is positioned within the junction box, the junction device is automatically connected in the proper manner because of the specific design of the leaf springs on the bus plates. Also, different junction devices comprise varying post configurations that contact different leaf springs on the bus plates. As such, the same power distribution system is capable of creating different circuit paths, depending on which junction device is inserted. Therefore, the device disclosed in the Figart patent advantageously allows the electrician to complete electrical wiring in a more efficient manner without the need for wire splicing.
However, the device disclosed in the Figart patent does not solve all problems associated with the prior art. For instance, the junction device is attached to the junction box via a plurality of screws, and threading the screws of the junction device to the junction box can be overly time consuming and expensive considering the fact that the electrician will likely complete this task.
Also, the wires that are threaded into the junction box of the Figart device are mechanically retained by the spring force of the first set of leaf springs. In other words, the Figart reference only discloses “stab-in” wire connections. Although this connection method may be quicker than other methods, stab-in connections may be insufficient for some applications. For instance, some applications may require that the wires be retained by set screws for greater retention strength. However, the Figart device fails to disclose such a connection means.
Thus, it is appreciated that there is an ongoing need for a power distribution system configured so as to allow quick and easy circuit completion, thereby reducing construction and labor costs. Specifically, there is a need for a power distribution system that allows junction devices, such as switches and outlets, to be installed without skilled labor. Finally, there is a need for a power distribution system that allows wires to be connected in a variety of ways.